Houston Astros first baseman Jon Singleton appears to have the early advantage in the competition for a spot on the Opening Day active roster, according to Chandler Rome of The Athletic. As Rome notes, Singleton is out of options, making it more difficult for the team to send him to the minors. The veteran returned to the majors in 2023 after eight consecutive seasons in the minors. With Houston, he slashed .194/.301/.323, adding two homers, 10 RBI, 10 walks, and 12 strikeouts. If Singleton lets his roster spot slip away, recently acquired outfielder Trey Cabbage could replace him on the Astros' bench.

Boston Red Sox catcher Connor Wong is expected to remain the club's top option behind the dish this season, according to Julian McWilliams of the Boston Globe. The young backstop emerged as an everyday option last year, slashing .235/.288/.385 while posting 0.9 dWAR and 4.0 DRS behind the plate. The 27-year-old is clearly Boston's top catching option, adding much more defensive value than Reese McGuire, who is seen as more of a bat-first player and hit lefties quite well last year. (Historically, McGuire has had more success against right-handed pitching.) Expect Wong to exceed 100 games once again this year, further cementing himself as a possible long-term option at the big-league level.

San Francisco Giants third baseman J.D. Davis won his arbitration hearing on Thursday, according to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle. The 30-year-old infielder had filed for a $6.9 million salary while the Giants filed at $6.55 million. He'll ultimately fetch the former salary and should remain a key piece of the Giants' lineup in 2024. He made 116 appearances at the hot corner last year while slashing .248/.325/.413 with 18 homers, 69 RBI, 52 walks, and 152 strikeouts.

The Los Angeles Dodgers have placed right-handed pitcher Dustin May (elbow) on the 60-day injured list, according to SB Nation's Eric Stephen. This was a merely procedural move given that May underwent surgery last summer and is expected to miss the first half of the 2024 season. He had a 2.63 ERA, 6.38 K/9, 3.00 BB/9, and 45.2 percent ground-ball rate through nine starts last year. Injuries have held the former top prospect to just 46 games over five years in the majors. Shifting May to the 60-day injured list creates an extra 40-man roster spot, which will be filled by Ryan Brasier, who was re-signed on Thursday.

Free-agent relief pitcher Jesse Chavez and infielder Danny Mendick were among 11 to sign minor-league deals with invites to major-league spring training with the Chicago White Sox on Thursday. Chavez missed three months in 2023 due to a microfracture in his left shin, but when he was healthy, he was great despite being 40 years old. He posted a strong 1.56 ERA and 1.10 WHIP with 39 strikeouts and one save for the Atlanta Braves in 34 2/3 innings pitched. Given how weak the White Sox's bullpen is entering spring training, it would be a surprise if the veteran reliever wasn't pitching for the big-league club in 2024, but he won't be on the fantasy radar. Mendick, 30, spent the first four years of his career in Chicago. The utility man played in 33 games with the New York Mets last year and went 12-for-65 (.185) with a homer and four RBI.